


Making Wonderland

by Merfilly



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background Relationships, Force Shenanigans, Gen, kriff the sith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:53:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21608548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: In the aftermath of the changes they wrought on Mortis, the Trio pick up their lives.This eventually ends poorly... for one manipulator.
Comments: 21
Kudos: 269
Collections: Star Wars





	Making Wonderland

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Mortis as a Looking Glass](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15717048) by [Merfilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly). 

> Thank you to those that asked for a sequel, especially Somariel who gave me some ideas to play with.

They managed to get on the ship and off the strange 'planetoid' that had captured them, and to rendezvous with the _Resolute_ without further incident. If they were all a little quiet, that could be excused and understood. The low-level but constant awareness of one another was going to take time to get used to.

It was as they all stepped off, with Rex awaiting them anxiously, that they realized just how much. Rex's shock at Obi-Wan had Anakin moving to shield his master, only to try and divert attention as Ahsoka's appearance really took Rex long past the edge of believability.

"Easy, Rexter. We hit some Force Things, and it's weird, but we're us," Ahsoka said, voice settled into a more mature version of the one that he had known for two long years.

"I… if you say so, sir." He looked to Anakin, who looked a little more like he was supposed to, even if the face had settled toward mature finally.

Shockingly, Anakin had the best answer to settle the Captain's jangled nerves. "We'll go see Kix, Rex. Let him get good scans of what happened to us."

"That…sounds wise, sir." Only now Rex was being wary of him, and it made Obi-Wan half-smile, hiding it with a reach up to stroke his beard.

"Right, medical," Anakin said, hating the wariness, but knowing it would last until they proved themselves to be the Jedi Rex knew best.

* * *

Kix's scans confirmed everything, even as he was baffled. There had not been any chronal energy residue; they had each lived out the extra years in the space of a few minutes, from Rex's point of view.

Worse, they had lived out different amounts of years. Anakin had gotten the fewest, while Obi-Wan had lived the most. Ahsoka, cheeky as ever, thought that was hysterical.

"Skyguy got the lesson first? That's a new one."

All the cheeky was gone now, as they stood on the bridge, waiting for the _Negotiator_ to appear from hyperspace at an agreed-upon rendezvous point. Obi-Wan looked outwardly calm and stable, but the other two knew. This was afflicting him with a case of severe nerves.

"Easy, Master," Anakin said.

"I'm … no, I am not fine," Obi-Wan said, one more piece of their giving over to each other. "Cody is such a young man as it is."

"It'll be fine, Master, so long as you let go of your perceptions of the way of it," Ahsoka said reassuringly. "He chose you. Age doesn't figure into it, once you're a consenting adult with experience."

"Listen to our padawan, Master. It will be fine."

The viewscreen suddenly showed the fullness of a Ventator ahead as Obi-Wan's flagship came out of hyperspace, and … he felt calmer. They were right; he knew that much from his time among their parent culture.

It would just be an adjustment.

* * *

Because of the strangeness of the report, the Council asked the three to return to Coruscant. Both units needed to resupply and apply a minor modification to their drives, so that was the reason given to the Senate for why both units were pulled in.

"We'll make sure you have time for her," Obi-Wan told Anakin in response to an unspoken wish.

Anakin chuckled at that. "Kind of weird to hear you say that."

"I should have said it before. But, now, I know it more than ever. In time, we will help the Order understand it as well."

"Kriffin' right," Ahsoka muttered from the third seat, and both men looked back at her in exasperated parental expressions. "What? No, you don't get to be a parent at me, Skyguy. I'm even closer to you in age than before!"

"And me?"

"You dad everyone except Cody," she muttered, before grinning at them both. "Dug."

"Du—oh." Obi-Wan quickly changed their vector to avoid the idling Dug in his own speeder as he looked forward again. Ahsoka actually caught the profanity aimed their way before they got fully past and laughed brightly.

They would handle the Order just fine.

* * *

They did not, in fact, handle the Order 'just fine'.

Mace suggested they step down to deal with their transformative visions. Ahsoka had bared her teeth at that, expressing all of their dismay and rejection of the idea.

Oppo Rancicis pushed that point, with the idea that others needed to study the concept with them, and Anakin stared at him blankly until Obi-Wan politely declined for them all.

Which had led to Master Yoda suggesting they each accept a different Jedi into their legions to be there for when the trap showed itself.

"We have had enough today, good day, call when you come to your senses on the idea of actually thinking outside your boxes," Anakin said, sounding more like Obi-Wan in that moment than he ever had before.

The words, full of Anakin's and Ahsoka's disregard for authority, but delivered with Obi-Wan's flat, calm tones stunned the Council long enough for the trio to leave the room.

As usual, when confronted with something outside their comfort zone, the Council members present failed to act quickly enough to keep the trio from leaving, as they acquired their speeder and headed… toward Padmé.

"Figured you two would want to go to the garrison," Anakin said weakly, even as he admitted he was glad that was not the case.

"No. We need each other," Ahsoka said firmly. "We'll be there for your first meeting with her, at least, then go."

"Alright." Anakin reached back to her, and then touched Obi-Wan's shoulder to include him.

* * *

Padmé proved, again, that she was possibly one of the calmest members of the Senate, taking in their altered states with a slight gasp but no hysterics.

"They both know," Anakin said, which cleared her to fold into his arms and just hold on.

"You… it's not much different with you, just little things in your eyes and face," she finally said, as they all found seats. "But you two?"

Obi-Wan nodded, as Ahsoka let her lekku flex fully with her amusement. "We are the shock, and possibly that is why the Council reacted so poorly."

"They reacted just the way they always do when someone interacts with the Force in ways they don't like," Anakin said mildly, refusing to give into temper when he had both of them soothing the hurt away.

"I… see that now," Obi-Wan said, backing away from disbelief in order to support his padawan.

Padmé had no idea what had happened, but if it meant Anakin actually had the support of the man he loved, then it could only be good.

* * *

Ahsoka suddenly paused in talking to Rex, Fives, and Tok about the next mission. She frowned, then gestured for them to continue and headed over to the speeder bike she was using for getting around Corsucant.

Obi-Wan, likewise, paused in discussing troop replacements and training with Cody. He concentrated, then threw all of his will into Anakin's, reinforcing him while helping him remain calm. He had to go get a speeder, but was not that far behind their padawan in leaving the garrison.

Fortunately, Ahsoka was more than willing to take the fight-or-flight response for herself, pulling that aggression/fear away from Anakin, allowing Obi-Wan to be the bolster more easily.

Palpatine did not understand why Anakin was ignoring the command he'd thrown at his puppet, but he didn't think it was more than Anakin being his usual obtuse self. He eased back from the insinuation, deciding it was not yet time to push that fully. He would just have to engineer a better set of circumstances.

"Do come to see me the next time you are here," he crooned. "Oh… have you seen the Senator?" he asked.

It almost pushed a wedge in the shielding, to have her brought up so soon after Anakin had come face to face with the Sith power in this man he thought of as a friend, a mentor, almost a father in some ways.

"I have. She's doing well. I'll tell her you asked after her," he said, catching himself by the tail as he felt Ahsoka's anger deepen, and Obi-Wan's unwavering support.

"I do hope she continues to be well, Anakin. She has been listening to more subversive opinions, hindering the necessary work to overcome the dangers of this war. Perhaps you can make her understand the need for firm control of the situation?"

"I am certain I can help her understand completely, Chancellor," Anakin said, leaning hard into Obi-Wan's experience and control to get those words out evenly. "Until we meet again." He made himself walk out, made himself keep walking until he got to where his padawan would arrive.

That did not take very long, and she brought the bike to a stop less than a meter from him, catapulting off to be near. His hand on her shoulder helped bring the negative feelings down to a bearable level, as they shared it between them with Obi-Wan's blanketing support coming ever nearer.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, looking up at him with worried eyes.

"Wait for Obi-Wan. Then go back to the Temple, and talk out a strategy. Who knows, maybe this will make the Council come down off their, dare I say it, fear of us?"

Ahsoka snickered. She knew, as well as he did, that it was fear of the unknown, and none of them were brave enough to face it the way they knew how to. They denied fear, and so had no way of handling it when it sank into their veins.

* * *

Obi-Wan stroked his beard, while Ahsoka paced a little as Saesee Tiin, having still been on Corsucant, inspected the Force echoes in Anakin.

Their communion on Mortis, accepting that they each needed the other at such a deep level, had inadvertently placed a barrier between Anakin and those many-years of compulsions and grooming the Chancellor had instilled. It allowed him to not only resist, but actually see when the man had tried to push him toward a more reckless action.

Finally, Saesee stepped back and Anakin sagged a little, accepting the immediate support of Ahsoka under his arm.

"Obi-Wan, I believe a Council meeting is in order," the Iktotchi said, turning to lead the way, and Obi-Wan followed, knowing Ahsoka would take care of Anakin.

"Master?"

"It's going to be okay, Snips," Anakin managed to say, but he let her guide him to the couch. "He's not even upset by Padmé, just like Obi-Wan thought. Something about keeping secrets for mischievous mates in the past."

"Good." She got him settled and got water for him, to wait for the verdict from the Council.

* * *

Halfway through the nap Anakin needed, he and Ahsoka were called to the Council room, and found every Master present, physically or by holo. However, no one was speaking out loud, and then Saesee pulled Anakin into the telepathic conference, while Ahsoka was gathered in by Plo.

~In mysterious ways, works the Force. Apologies, making, we must, Knight and Padawan.~

Yoda's words sank in and soothed some of their pain at the way they had been handled on their report of Mortis and what it had done to them.

~We are trying to find what contingency plan the Chancellor must have, for if his machinations come to light,~ Adi said. ~I believe he has close to half of the Senate and most of the Security Council under his sway, but that is not enough to assure power, or even truly cause further war inside the Republic.~

~It is our concern,~ Mace began, ~that he somehow has hooks into the men or the Fleet, or both. The origin of the clones at Kamino is shrouded under two known enemies of the Jedi Order, after all.~

Anakin immediately began to protest… and stopped as Ahsoka went very still and very pale. ~Ahsoka?~

~They share a nightmare, one where they attack and kill the Jedi en masse. None of them know why. None of them understand how it could ever be, when they are loyal to us, almost on the same level as they are to the Republic. That started as flash-training, sure, but many of them came to feel it truly.~

That caused more conferring, more noise in the telepathic conference, but Ahsoka's words came from a point of having actually spent time down in the barracks among sleeping and overly tired vod'e. They knew better than to dismiss those words.

~Perhaps, something in the flash-training holds a contingency plan for the idea of rebellious elements? A way to overcome us, should the pursuit of this war warp us to seek power?~ Eeth offered.

~Or an exploit, slipped in by the Count, on orders or for his own wishes,~ Oppo interjected.

~Either way, it means moving cautiously, so that the Guard and any units here cannot aid him when he is braced,~ Adi stated. ~Very well, fellow Council members. I request that the units stationed here be sent to the war with due haste, so that I have fewer worries as I utilize my contacts to find and expose the corruption.~

~Agreed,~ Mace said, and the meeting began to disperse.

The trio left together, and did not need telepathy or speech to know they were of one mind. They would find the threat or compulsion buried in the psyches of their men, and figure out how to defuse it.

* * *

Ahsoka wished for Echo. Echo had eidetic memory, which meant they'd actually been able to ask him a lot about the flash-training. However, he and Fives were settling in with the Waterfall company, as Rex wanted them both to have command experience. She remembered from settling in as Cascade's commander that it could be a difficult time.

Now, she needed to focus. By all accounts through the 501st, the one she needed was Dogma. She hadn't interacted much with him, but Rex said he knew all the regulations as well as Echo had. She walked into Torrent country, a quick 'as you were' on her lips. She scanned the common room, having been told — there he was. Hard to miss that tat.

"Trooper Dogma, can you join me?" she asked, walking toward the small admin office that Rex's platoon leaders used.

The man went full military bearing and moved with a purpose to do so. She kept Rex's words at the front of her mind, about how this one seemed incapable of disobeying orders, even if improvisation was called for due to changing needs. He was frankly surprised the second-year trooper had made it alive so long.

"At ease," she told him once the door closed at a handwave from her. "Sit down, and just talk to me about some things. I'm trying to pursue a few angles to help us better help you and your brothers."

"We have all we need," Dogma said as he sat down, tension evident in every bit of his stiff posture.

Ahsoka tipped her head to the side, then shook it. "Not going to argue with you on that score; I can't make promises that the Republic might break, after all.

"No, what I need to understand is your training, so we can better help going forward."

"What kind of information do you need, sir?"

"Can you break out the training for me, year by year, so I can see just what we're looking at, for when the war is over? We'll need to understand it from the ground up to be able to help you all find roles outside the military.

"Understanding it at that level, knowing what skills make you guys so great, will help us relate those skills to civilian tasks to build a support network."

All of it was true, and passive enough in its approach that Ahsoka didn't feel like she was lying, but she really did want to keep Dogma as calm as possible, and not trigger anything about the nightmare as he spoke to her.

"Seems a bit much for a Jedi to go through for us," Dogma said, not certain of this at all.

"Dogma, it is what we do. We've got a ways to go until the next system, so go ahead and tell me what you can."

Phrased like that, it was an order in his mind, she suspected, because he began without further demurring, with her making notes. It would be useful information, for after, even if that was not her purpose in getting it, not immediately. She stopped him a few times to clarify, and also to get a better grip on something about him that was not quite like most of the men she stayed around.

Was it a distance? Was she reading too much into it? Most shinies when they arrived could not help but follow orders exactly. Then they learned that survival required broader interpretation of orders. Especially Anakin's standing general order of 'stay alive'.

"When you say the advanced class in year seven is on protecting the Republic, what do you mean?" she asked. "I thought all of your training was focused on that."

Dogma looked pained, for a moment, and then… Ahsoka felt him go nearly blank in the way he felt inside the Force. "Not all threats exist outside the Republic."

That was the Idiot's Array, right there. She'd hit what she was looking for, and something else.

"I suppose that's true. I mean, Dooku _was_ a Jedi once."

It was calculated, and building on the fact that Dogma could be so literal. Give him an example —

"Yes sir. We have to be prepared. Good soldiers follow orders, and that makes the Republic safe."

The null-state seemed to settle, giving her back the trooper that was all about precise orders and plans. What had that been?

"Alright, let's keep going," she encouraged.

* * *

Anakin didn't know what to make of Ahsoka's report at first. But, being the stubborn one by nature (they all were, but his was deeper), he dug in and thought about it.

What he found his mind turning to was not a good thing.

"You don't arm slaves, not without a way to stop them from turning on their masters. So. What did they do to the men to be able to shut down the slave army they made?"

"A virus? Something they can trigger?" Ahsoka reasoned.

"Has to be something they can turn on, yes, but I doubt a virus would slip past the non-Kaminoan healers." Anakin considered a little more, then got up off their shared couch and headed for medical, Ahsoka on his heels.

They arrived, and it was actually fairly deserted, given that they were just off Coruscant and not yet run into a fight. Anakin gestured to Kix as he entered.

"Need to talk to you, Kix. Office?"

"Yes sir."

Anakin perched on the desk, Ahsoka took the chair on the offside of it, while Kix accepted that he should take his proper place behind the desk.

"Kix, have you ever come across any oddities in scanning your brothers? Any foreign pieces of tech implanted in them?"

Ahsoka wished that her master could be less blunt at times, but she caught a minute flicker in her awareness of Kix's presence, similar to what Dogma had done.

"No sir."

Anakin frowned, before he pinned Kix with a look. "Is there any tech embedded in the vod'e?" he pressed.

Again, Kix flickered on their awareness, and Ahsoka found herself taking a breath.

"Only the emotional regulator chips, sir," Kix replied in a more blank tone than usual. "Designed to keep us from repeating the mistakes seen in the Nulls."

The absolute fear/rage in Anakin had Ahsoka scrambling to regulate his emotional reaction, not understanding why but knowing there was a personal feeling to it.

"I see." Anakin shifted back, considering that, before he brought his formidable will to bear. "Sleep, Kix."

The medic slumped at his desk, and Ahsoka moved over to his side. "Skyguy?"

Somehow she knew the word 'master' was the last thing she should say.

"My chip could only blow me up. I've got a bad feeling about what theirs can do," he replied without even thinking about how that might land in her montrals.

She swallowed hard, then moved to lift Kix. "Then let's go use the scanner and get this chip out, so we can figure out what it does."

* * *

They did not choose Padmé to deliver the speech. Instead, Mon Mothma of Chandrilia was the one that stood up and allowed her disk to take the center of the Senate chamber.

"As you know, several systems of the Republic have vilified the fact that we, as a body, allowed for the use of the created army from Kamino. Senators, other delegates, I bring to you proof that the perfidy of this event extends even further in its enslavement of those brave men!"

"I object to this!" Halle Burtoni immediately cried out.

"An allegation of further sapient species abuse has been made and will be heard!" the Iktotchi senator shouted, and the chair called for order, gaining it so Mon could continue.

"As of this very week, Honorable Body, it was discovered that a device had been implanted in the very brains of these young men! A device that has been confirmed to be present in every member of the valiant army! A device that — "

Mon's words choked off, suddenly, and she reached up for her throat, trying to remove the invisible hand that was stealing her air, filling her with the dread certainty that she would die. Around the room, though, the Guard that was present checked their comms, almost in unison, before bringing their weapons to bear on not her, but the Chancellor.

"Sir, we ask that you stop what you are doing, and move into our custody," Thire snapped out, using his helmet to boost his voice. As he spoke, the screens at every pod lit up with a list of contingency orders, highlighting that they could be delivered, unilaterally, on the say-so of just one man.

Mon Mothma dropped to her knees as the pressure eased, but the recorder droids had moved to view the Chancellor more closely, and played in holographic display that it coincided with his hand opening in his lap, down out of view.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded, far more snappish in his tone than his usual wont.

"The meaning, Chancellor," Anakin Skywalker said as he emerged at the bottom of the chamber, drawing all eyes to him and the 501st Squadron with him, "is that we discovered a trap that has been set for the Order and Republic alike. One that can only be implemented by a majority vote in the Senate, by the unanimous action of the Security Council, or… by the Supreme Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic.

"That seems to be you."

From the full distance of the floor to the disk that the Chancellor was now standing upon, Anakin made certain to meet and hold the man's eyes, before one of the ARC troopers near him started broadcasting recordings of one Count Dooku speaking to a man with a far more grasping, hateful voice… and yet, there were some who grasped swiftly who that voice belonged to.

_"When, my master, should I move to pressure the Mid Rim trade lanes?"_

_"Not yet. They are not ready for the end game. They number too many even yet! You must be more efficient in killing those parasites off!"_

_"Do not be so concerned, my master, for the Jedi rush to their deaths willingly."_

The senate exploded as that, plus the contingency orders were adding up to overwhelming, if circumstantial, evidence. It might not have been enough, if it wasn't for the Chancellor himself lashing out in the next moment, as his duplicity was revealed to all.

Fortunately, Anakin was not alone, as several other Jedi moved in to protect as many people as they could, and the vod'e present helped.

* * *

"I need a drink," Ahsoka said, getting a snort from Rex as they sat with Anakin in medical. The healers had not wanted to let him leave, nor the men that had all been injured. None of the men had been killed from their unit, but the Guard had not been so lucky. Then again, Fives deploying the 'fix' on the chips had revealed poor Fox had further brainwashing. He, like Cody on Obi-Wan's ship and a few other select Clone Marshals would be receiving a lot more care from the Jedi to overcome that extra 'training'.

"You, Snips? I'm the one that got fried, again," Anakin complained. "But great job, getting that intercepted communication to us in time."

"It took some doing," she admitted. "All of our comm people deserve medals for breaking the encryption finally."

"You and Rex managed it. Also, Rex, Fives and the squad from Waterfall managed things perfectly. Make sure they get commended too?"

"I will, sir." Rex moved to grasp his shoulder. "General Kenobi?"

Anakin closed his eyes, touching the link, while Ahsoka just rolled her eyes. She'd told him already that Obi-Wan was fine.

"Upset, worried for Cody, but Master Tiin will see him and the rest back to their proper minds," Anakin assured him.

"Good." Rex then looked at Ahsoka. "Now that they're back on ship, sir, will you please stand down and go get some sleep?"

"SNIPS!"

"Just being you, Skyguy," she said with a laugh, but she stood from her chair. "Like Rex was any better. I say put Tok in charge for a change, and all of us get some sleep."

"Sounds like a plan!"


End file.
